


Rank 4 Remix

by Apostitutes



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Clueless Yusuke, Dorks on Dates, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 13:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12985341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apostitutes/pseuds/Apostitutes
Summary: Yusuke has a new art project in the works and needs a human sounding-board/sacrifice. Akira is pulled along for the ride - Again.





	Rank 4 Remix

**Author's Note:**

> I was looking to do something small to get back into writing and this game gave me the prompt by itself. While exploring mementos, Yusuke comments that someone asked him to draw doujinshi and I was immediately sold.

"Well, I'm done for the day," Soujiro announced, "Don't forget to lock up when you're done."

"Have a good evening." Akira replied as he wiped the counter down. He had started to realise that the stubborn coffee stain he was rubbing at for the last three minutes may very well be permanent.

Soujiro left with a wave of his hand and the jingle of bells as he closed the door

The two of them were left alone.

Yusuke sat at the booth nearest the door, staring out into the torrential rain with a contemplative stare. His reading was softly illuminated by the kitschy multicoloured lamp above and he tapped his pencil against the table in a slow rhythm.

"It looks as if we are under a waterfall," He commented. "A painting made using oil and resin would capture this perfectly.”

Akira could never tell whether the artist was talking directly to him or just musing aloud, so he gave a noncommittal hum to be on the safe side.

He looked up from his tidying and out at the surge of water pouring down the windows - The occasional pedestrian running past though the side streets to escape the deluge. It was a good thing that Soujiro lived so close by; in this kind of weather, even an umbrella wouldn't save you from being drenched through.

"Did you bring an umbrella?" He asked, completing that train of thought.

Yusuke flipped the page in his art book, returning his concentration there, "No."

Akira held back a laugh. He was so nonchalant about it. But, knowing him, he probably didn't care about getting soaked to the bone.

"You don't have to head back to the dorms right away you know. It would probably be best if you wait it out." Akira offered, "The weather guy said it would clear up around seven." He jabbed his thumb towards the small TV in the corner. It was on, but the volume was so low they could barely hear it over the rain. It was on a talk show panel now.

Yusuke nodded, "Thank you. Although, I don't want to impose myself if you had other plans."

Akira chuckled and waved his hand out to the rain, "I think my schedule just cleared."

Yusuke's eyes followed his gesture with a lack of understanding.

"I mean, it's fine." He explained, "I don't have plans." His hand went to adjust his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. He didn't know why he tried to make that joke. It wasn't even a joke, he didn't know what it was.

"Good." Yusuke said, "Would you like me to help you with your cleaning?"

Akira shook his head, the stain was a lost cause at this point, at least the wood was dark brown to begin with.

"Don't worry about it. I'm almost done anyway."

Morgana's yawn came from his perch on the windowsill near Yusuke's counter. He watched as the cat stood up for a long stretch, his tail bristling all the way to the tip, then curling back around himself to fall back into slumber. Something about the rain made all cats sleepy, it seemed that Morgana was no exception.

Akira looked over to Yusuke, who had now turned to his little sketch book and was scribbling away. Even the way his hands moved against the page was elegant, stroking the paper in strong lines, his long fingers moving the pencil so precisely and confidently. His dark hair had swept over the side of his face, obscuring his expression, but Akira was sure it was one of complete concentration. Yusuke poured everything into his artwork, something that anyone could admire about him; that singleminded pursuit of perfection in his craft. Akira didn't think he would ever feel so passionately about anything in his life the way Yusuke felt for his art. He was kind of jealous.

The closing up routine was mostly done, the weather had affected the already small amount of business Leblanc seemed to have and there wasn't that much to clean or put away. Akira had no idea how Soujiro kept it going like he did, the prices were low and the turnout seemed to mostly be the few regulars, an elderly couple and a man who clearly wasn't welcome anywhere else. But, then again, Akira was a student and had zero experience in running a business. He liked the work though, and Soujiro was a true master when it came to the art of coffee brewing.

On that thought, Akira started to brew two cups. He turned on the heat at the bottom of the siphon and began to grind new coffee to put in the top of the hopper just as Soujiro taught him. Following each step in his mental checklist before pouring out the results. The bitter aroma had become comforting to him in his makeshift home away from home and he wondered if he could ever live without it now.

He brought one of the steaming cups over to the booth and Yusuke lifted head up from his work.

"Oh, this is for me?" He asked, "Thank you very much.”

As he reached for the cup, his sleeve drew back to reveal his thin, pale wrist. So thin that Akira couldn't help but stare as a pang of worry rose in his chest.

Had he been eating properly lately?

Akira retreated to behind the counter and looked to the TV. The hosts of the afternoon talk show had moved on to an information segment about local restaurants. It was around time to start thinking about dinner.

He didn't want Yusuke to think that he was pitying him, but something about the slender artist made him just want to feed him.  
They all knew he was likely to skip many a meal for monetary reasons, or maybe just forget it entirely due to being so absorbed in his work. Either way it wasn't healthy, and Akira DID need to improve his cooking skills for the cafe. If he kept burning the carrots Soujiro would whip him over the head with his spatula... again.  
It was quid pro quo, or at least that's what Akira told himself.

The moment Yusuke sat down at the counter his eyes lit up, "Are you cooking a meal? Is it curry?"

Akira nodded, adjusting his glasses and pulling back his sleeves, "It'll be done in a few minutes."

"Would you like me to assist you?" He asked.

No, god no, "N-no. It's fine. Keep reading your book and I'll bring them out once they're done."

Luckily, Yusuke didn't need much convincing, "If you insist."

He returned to his booth and picked up the book again, bringing it to the counter. It was one he was particularly engrossed in, so Akira knew he was itching to return to it.

A comfortable silence fell over the cafe as Akira stirred the curry sauce up to the boil. There was bubbling from the pot, the low volume chatter of the TV and the rustling of pages over the backdrop of rainfall.

He liked it in Tokyo. Back home there was too much silence and he always felt that he needed fill it with small talk. With his current group of friends he barely got a word in edgeways, which was nice, but with Yusuke it was different. He didn't feel the need to say useless things or panic about keeping him entertained. He just came in and made himself at home like he always belonged there. Akira envied how he was so at ease with himself wherever he was, regardless of what other people thought about his more... eccentric qualities.

Then, after a few minutes, Yusuke spoke to him, "Did I mention that someone has asked me to draw something called a ‘Doujinshi’?"

Akira remembered him saying something about it in Mementos the other day but he didn't elaborate who or why, "Yeah, kind of?"

They had turned the corner and ran head first into a group of shadows at the time. It wasn’t brought up again after.

"I was hoping that, since you have been helping me with my artistic direction, that you might assist me in this endeavour also." Yusuke closed his book and slid it to one side before resting his elbows on the counter, "I think I may accept the request."

Akira started to plate the rice, "So, what do you need my help with?" Once he had finished, he scooped the ladle into the sauce to get a portion of curry.

"It seems the subject matter is about two males in an illicit relationship."

There was a loud splat as Akira fumbled the ladle and curry sauce poured straight onto the floor and, unfortunately, Akira's shoe.

His face flushed all the way to the tips of his ears, “What?” He asked in complete and utter disbelief.

Maybe he had misheard?

“I believe the term is homosexual partners.”

Nope. No such luck.

"W-what makes you think I can help you with that?!" He gasped out, ducking under the counter and trying to snatch at a tissue box to clean the collateral damage from his trainers.

Yusuke tilted his head in confusion, "Well, in order to truly capture the mindset of the subjects, I would need to understand their experience. The best way to do this would be to observe or simulate what I would be drawing. More specifically, the dynamics and nuances of a romantic outing between two men."

Oh god, was Yusuke asking him on a date?

"If I am to understand this first hand then, naturally, the first of the simulated pair would be myself. And then there was only one person who came to mind who could fill the other role."

Oh, he definitely was.

Yusuke looked him dead in the eyes, "That would be you Akira. If you accept my proposal."

Akira quickly finished plating up the food and placed the steaming meals on the counter. He wiped the mixture of kitchen steam and sweat from his forehead with a cloth; it had become entirely too hot in the small cafe in the last few minutes.

"So, let me get this straight, you're asking me to hang out with you somewhere. But we're pretending to be..." Akira swirled his fingers through the air - if that would conjure the words to even describe this strange situation.

"Together." Yusuke filled in the gap for him.

He didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or despair. His mouth chose both without him as a strangled and, frankly, manic sounding chuckle came from him. He couldn't take that sound back, it was already gone by the time he realised.

Yusuke was, understandably, alarmed at this reaction and Akira panicked.

"Um, I mean, why me?" He asked, coughing into his sleeve (because that would help),"I-I'm not saying no but..."

Yusuke seemed awfully unaffected by the whole thing, as if he was simply asking to borrow class notes, and Akira suspected that the artist was blissfully unaware of exactly what he was suggesting. Of course he was, this was Yusuke, the same guy who walked up to Ann (a stranger) and asked if he could paint her nude. Which is why, Akira reminded himself, he shouldn't take the request for more than it was - Hanging out with Yusuke while he talked about his ideas.

"It has to be you." Yusuke stated, maintaining an uncomfortably steady eye contact with his dark, steely eyes. Were they blue? Akira never noticed that before.

"Ryuji would be a nuisance."

Oh, right, of course he was the only option. Who else was there, out of their male friends, that wouldn't freak the hell out, lock himself away and probably bathe in hand sanitiser for the next few months - All the while swearing the house down and wailing about 'no homo'.

Akira nodded in agreement, "Yeah, maybe don't tell Ryuji. Ever."

"You are more open minded and you have been of great importance to my work over the past few months. Without you I would not have progressed past my artist’s block and remained in my moratorium indefinitely.” Yusuke leant forward over the counter, imploring Akira with his eyes.

“Please?"

It looked like Akira had found himself, once again, roped into one of Yusuke's themed outings.


End file.
